Police Incident Reports A Selection of Noteworthy Incident Reports

Incidents listed are selected by the Officer In Charge of each shift that may have significant public interest.
Incidents listed are not inclusive of all incidents. To view Calls for Services information, please visit communitycrimemap.com. Requests for information can be directed to the MPD Records Unit: (608) 266-4075.

Incident Report for Case #2018-337740

Incident Type

Fraud

Incident Date

08/30/2018 - 5:16 PM

Address

W. Gilman St.

Victim(s)

Female, age 24, Madison

Details

Telephone scam artists conned a 24-year-old UW-Madison graduate student out of $15,000 Thursday. Criminals made it appear the MPD was calling the victim by "spoofing" the department's non-emergency number. They then kept the victim on the phone for five hours as she took out gift cards and provided crooks with their numbers. They had convinced her that her social security number had been compromised and was now associated with criminal activity. She was told to comply with instructions or a federal investigation could be opened which might lead to her assets being frozen and her deportation. When the callers demanded she buy more gift cards, she demanded to speak with an officer in person. It was at that time she began to realize she had been duped.